In December 2024, I had the opportunity to speak on the Women Mobilize Women series podcast, in the episode “Gender, Mobility and 2SLGBTQIA+”. It was an important platform to reflect on how transport systems, in Bogotá and beyond, not only facilitate movement, but also expose the deep social and political fault lines that shape who gets to move freely and safely in our cities.
In Bogotá, recent data from the 2023 Mobility Survey (EM2023) reveals that while transgender and non-binary individuals account for only 0.06% and 0.05% of total trips respectively, their reliance on public transport is significantly higher than that of the general population. Nearly 70% of non-binary people and over 40% of transgender people report using it as their primary mode of travel, surpassing the 37% reported by women (Sensata, CAF, & Secretaría de Movilidad, 2024).
Yet, this reliance is marked by a troubling contradiction: those who need public transport the most are often the ones who feel the least safe in it. Across different modes and cities, LGBTQIA+ riders consistently report high levels of harassment, invisibility, and fear. In Bogotá, trans and non-binary people, lesbian and bisexual women, and queer youth all rank among those who feel least secure during their daily journeys (Sensata et al., 2024). This is not just a transportation issue, it is a human rights issue.
These findings are not unique to Bogotá. The LGBTQ Guide to Travel Safety (ManAboutWorld, 2020) notes that LGBTQ travelers everywhere face additional risks, even in countries where laws are progressive. Travel, whether local or international, can be deeply stressful for LGBTQIA+ individuals who must constantly navigate questions of disclosure, behavior, and safety. As the guide states, “Travelers carry an abundance of caution, some well-founded worries and concerns, and all too often, fear. Magnify that ten times for ‘T’ travelers” (ManAboutWorld, 2020, p. 75).
Public transportation should not require people to compromise their identities in order to access basic rights like mobility. This is why inclusive transportation planning cannot be reduced to simply offering a few diversity workshops or painting a rainbow mural at a station. As Veronica Davis argues in Inclusive Transportation, “When we say we want equity, we must also mean we are ready to listen, really listen, to the pain, the history, and the demands of those most excluded from the system” (Davis, 2023). Real inclusion requires shifting who is at the center of the conversation, and who gets to decide what counts as safety, comfort, or dignity in urban mobility.
In this context, symbolic gestures are not enough. Infrastructure must be understood not only as a set of physical structures, but as a system of relations, priorities, and values. If transit systems fail to recognize the needs of LGBTQIA+ riders, especially trans and non-binary people, they become complicit in perpetuating exclusion and harm.
International experiences show that transformation is possible. Cities like Bhubaneswar (India) and Peshawar (Pakistan) have implemented gender action plans, inclusive hiring, and targeted training that go beyond tokenism to systemic reform (ITDP, 2022, 2023). These examples remind us that inclusive mobility must be actively built, with deep commitment to equity and justice.
As we prepare to launch participatory research spaces like TransMiLab (in TransMilenio), our goal is to center the voices and experiences of LGBTQIA+ users, not as footnotes in policy documents, but as co-designers of the systems that shape their daily lives.
Because ultimately, visibility is not a trend, it’s a right. And equity in mobility is not only about reaching your destination. It’s about doing so safely, freely, and without having to hide who you are.
Calls to action: Building truly inclusive transport systems
To decision-makers, transit authorities, and urban planners: It is time to move beyond symbolic visibility campaigns and commit to deep structural change. Representation must be matched by concrete policies, accessible protocols, inclusive training, and meaningful investments in safety and dignity. This includes developing participatory mechanisms that actively involve LGBTQIA+ voices in the planning, design, and evaluation of transport infrastructure. Anti-discrimination protocols and incident reporting systems must be institutionalized, designed to be multilingual, inclusive, and respectful of diverse gender identities. In addition, all staff, from drivers to security personnel, should receive comprehensive training on gender diversity, inclusive communication, and human rights. Finally, transport agencies must collect and analyze disaggregated data on gender identity and sexual orientation to guide evidence-based interventions that leave no one behind.
To researchers, activists, and community leaders: We must continue to document and amplify the everyday mobilities of LGBTQIA+ individuals through ethnographic, embodied, and participatory research. These stories reveal hidden patterns of exclusion and help shape more just mobility systems. Advocacy efforts must push for truly intersectional transport justice, recognizing the compounding effects of race, class, gender, and disability on movement and access. It is equally important to support local queer mobility initiatives that are already creating safer spaces for cycling, walking, and transit. And above all, we must pressure institutions to shift their frameworks, from risk mitigation to care-centered design, prioritizing not the preservation of systems, but the protection and empowerment of people.
References
Davis, V. (2023). Inclusive Transportation: A Manifesto for Repairing Divided Communities. Island Press.
Encuesta de Movilidad de Bogotá (EM2023). Secretaría Distrital de Movilidad.
ITDP. (2022). Case Study: Zu Peshawar BRT and Gender-Inclusive Design. Institute for Transportation and Development Policy.
ITDP. (2023). Sustainable Transport Award Nominees: Bhubaneswar and Mo E-Ride. Retrieved from https://www.itdp.org
Jordan, P. (2018). Handbook on the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Travel Segment. European Travel Commission (ETC). https://etc-corporate.org/reports/handbook-on-the-lgbtq-travel-segment/
ManAboutWorld & AIG Travel. (2019). The LGBTQ Guide to Travel Safety. https://www.travelguard.com
Sensata, CAF, & Secretaría Distrital de Movilidad. (2024). Caracterización de los patrones de movilidad en Bogotá con enfoque de género e interseccional.
Zebracki, M., Weintrob, A., Hansell, L., Barnard, Y., & Lucas, K. (2021). Queer mobilities: Critical LGBTQ perspectives of public transport spaces. Mobilities, 16(5), 775–791. https://doi.org/10.1080/17450101.2021.1958249
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